I hope this post is ok, otherwise, please delete/remove.
I just checked this morning and BLT Sales has the smart-plugs back in stock … and their price is the lowest I’ve found. Go grab some to improve your device detection … and spend some extra $$$
Shipping was 4-5 days, but, cheaper than amazon, flat handling fee, no taxes (if you live outside CA).
Freezer + Tool Chargers in Garage
Fridge in Kitchen (Sense detected ALL subcomponents individually, was too confusing for me)
TV+Router+NAS+… in Family room
Grow Lights - My lemon tree and other potted herbs do not survive outdoors in cold Chicago weather
TV+Printer+RPI+ … in Office
Small Aquarium (Heater draws in 200W, though intermittently)
Office Computers, shredder, lights, …
It is a bit of an investment, but I think of it this way. 5x switches cost $120. My monthly bill is $200 … if somehow I can monitor my usage and drop consumption by 5%, those smart plugs would have paid for themselves in one year. I ordered in two batches, and paid a total of $152.46 for 7× … or $21.78 each. Amazon would have been $215.53 or $30.79 each
Actually it’s a mix of both. I initially had the predecessor smart-plug (HS105) and used those primarily to control lights on/off. Then I did two things: for lights that are not hard-wired to the house I purchased some smart bulbs (Wyze/Feit) and for those that are hard-wired I installed smart WIFI dimmers (Feit). So now, all my lights are smart except few (bathroom/garage/attic…) as there is no need there.
Then, fast forward few months, I acquired the Sense, and learned a bit more about DCM and smart-plugs with energy monitoring, and how expensive the TP-Link HS-110 are ($100 on amazon). The KP115 were not available then. Once they were, I got few to help Sense but also control some of my devices. Granted, 7 is a bit of an overkill, but I convinced myself they’ll pay for themselves in a while.
So, the only one (KP115) I turn on/off is the one running the grow lights (600 W). The others, (computers, fridge, aquarium, …) is just to have an idea of the consumption.
You need not get only the KP115. The HS105 are cheaper ($20 for 2×) and are suitable for basic on/off and other home automation e.g. control lights when away from home.
One word of caution though. This Home Automation hobby is a bit addictive and the last thing you want is buy the most expensive/promising hardware out there. Some people sell smart switches for $50 a piece and granted, those look slick, but if you have 30-40 switches in your home, that’s quite an investment. Go slowly, learn along the way, and only invest in what you need today. Tomorrow, no one knows for sure if this technology will be relevant, especially that many devices use the 2.4 GHz WIFI network, and that’s getting slowly cluttered.
thanks !!
my current lighting control is just 2 lights in my main tv viewing location, everything else is dumb, heh. I got in way way back in the day with x10 for a few lights around the tv room and always have enjoyed the dimming from remote control, and scenes in that location.
I don’t use Alexa or anything similar, never have. possibly one day but just haven’t jumped on board.
Trying to determine how many kp115 would be useful, the data would be great. not sure I would control anything with them…
Agreed. I did the x10 thing ~20 years ago when my first was born. We were looking into baby-room cameras and there were not many options back then. Before you knew it I had multiple devices and was playing with lights on/off, especially when away from home. Today you and I can appreciate this new technology because we’ve seen the predecessor. Granted, some of the new stuff is way above my head but that’s where the interest/pull is. In the end, this is a hobby, and this is my warning if I may: Like all hobbies, the interest/pull from this will vane after sometime. Thus, go easy and no need to make big expenses on what’s available today as the technology is not mature yet and likely to change in few years. Three years ago I installed a wired set of outdoor cameras (was painful to route all the wires behind the walls). Today, one ca do wireless cams much easier.
Get 1-2 KP115, play with them, move them around, and decide if it’s worth getting more. That’s what I did, I did not buy all 7 at once.
I second @drjb ‘s advice. Try a couple KP115s first on all of the plug-in devices you are thinking about using smart plugs on - the biggest consumer that Sense is unlikely to find. Some thoughts on which devices those might be in the thread below: